


Dark Lord, or no Dark Lord

by scarletladyy



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Voldemort Wins, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-14
Updated: 2013-07-14
Packaged: 2017-12-26 03:53:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/961266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarletladyy/pseuds/scarletladyy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Astoria's known all along the horrors her husband has had to face in order to keep their family afloat, but confronting them head on is harder than she expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dark Lord, or no Dark Lord

**Author's Note:**

> Written for deatheaterfest 2013. Thank you to my fantastic beta, drarryisgreen.

"It could be worse, you know," Draco said quietly, shifting from foot to foot in the corner of the room.

"I know," replied Astoria. "That doesn't make it any better, though."

"I know."

Astoria sighed heavily and folded her arms across her chest. "What I saw—"

"You shouldn't have seen that," Draco interrupted. "It was poor timing on my part. I'm sorry."

" _What I saw_ ," Astoria repeated, narrowing her eyes at her husband, "horrified me. I knew what you were doing with that Granger girl, but seeing it like that, seeing _you_ like that..." She faltered, biting her lip. It was hard to convey all the emotions she wanted to. There were so many running through her head that she had trouble even deciphering what she was feeling. "You backhanded her with the same hand you use when caressing me. You strangled her with the hands that play with our children. You spat at her with the mouth you kiss me and them goodnight with."

Silence. There was no response from her husband. He ran his hands through his hair and leaned against the wall, as though not knowing what to do or how to answer her.

"She's still human, Draco." Astoria stared straight at her husband, right into his eyes, but he wouldn't meet hers. "Do you truly believe she deserves it?"

Draco let out a mirthless laugh. "How am I supposed to answer that? Either I upset you or condemn myself. It has to be done, that's all. Our Lord has trusted me with the task himself and you know I can't let Him down."

"Answer me," Astoria said sharply. She wasn't messing around.

"No," Draco said after a moment. "I don't. But it doesn't matter."

"It matters to me. If you thought—" Astoria's voice faltered. "If you thought she deserved it or if you derived pleasure from it... That is a completely different situation, Draco."

"I just do what needs to be done. I don't enjoy it, trust me."

Despite the cold façade Draco showed to everyone else, Astoria knew her husband. She knew he didn't enjoy it, but she had to be certain. She _had_ to ask. After seeing Draco be so brutal so effortlessly, it needed to be asked. His actions were so real and convincing that even she was taken in by it for a few moments.

"I'm not so bad."

"I know," Astoria said with a small smile. She crossed the room and took Draco's hands in her own, stroking them. Still, he wouldn't meet her eyes. He was clearly ashamed that she'd found him with Granger. "I'm sorry, I just... I don't want that... that _creature_ turning you into a rapist or a murderer."

"Mind what you're saying. The walls have ears." Draco looked anxiously around the room before relaxing somewhat. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her into him. "There's nothing we can do about it if that's what he wants. But I can promise you that you won't have to witness it. I'll be more discreet."

"Thank you," she said softly, leaning in to nuzzle against his neck. She was a head shorter than him, so kissing was awkward sometimes, but she liked the height difference. It gave her more licence to wear heels. "Maybe he won't want her dead..."

"Don't think about that," Draco instructed. "It's not your concern."

"Will you... Just... Don't be _unnecessarily_ cruel."

Draco pulled his neck away from her mouth slightly. "I—"

"Please, Draco," Astoria stressed. "I know what you have to do, but please don't be unnecessarily cruel. No more than needs be."

"It's not your concern," Draco repeated. "I'm not, anyway. But I can't be found to be weak."

Astoria nodded knowingly and leaned into his neck once more. Her breath was hot against his cool skin. "You're not like the others, I know that. You have a conscience."

"Unfortunately," Draco mumbled. "It would be much easier if I didn't. My father seems to get by easily enough."

"You're not your father. Thankfully." 

"They're testing me, you know. They only gave me Granger to see if I was up to the task." Draco let go of her hands and brought one up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I will be. I have to be. For you, for our children. For me."

"We need you," Astoria said softly.

"That's why I have to be who they want me to be. There's no other choice, no other way. Nobody's coming along to save us. Potter's been and gone. He's not coming back, and there's no replacement. You know that." He met her eyes for the first time since she'd seen him with Granger. She nodded. "You have to adjust, Astoria. It's been three years and you still seem to cling to the hope that something's going to change. It isn't."

"It might." She was determined not to lose her hope. "Granger's still alive, and Weasley has not been found yet."

Draco shook his head. "Weasley's useless alone. And Granger... She's no use now." He stroked her cheek and she couldn't help but flinch back slightly as she remembered how he'd hit Granger. "The only people we can rely on are each other. That's why we have to stick together. For us. For Scorpius and Carina. You have to hold it together. You can, can't you?"

"Yeah," Astoria murmured. "Yes. Of course I can. My role is nothing compared to yours, I can't even imagine—"

"Ssh," Draco said, placing a finger to her lips to silence her. "Don't try. Just try and forget it."

"I will." Her voice spoke volumes of confidence, and she wasn't sure if Draco bought it, but he nodded anyway. "The children... Scorpius especially was hoping for you to say goodnight to him."

"Of course." Draco smiled and went to kiss her cheek, but she moved her face so he touched her lips instead. He searched her eyes for a moment, confused after her flinch, but she offered him the briefest of nods and he pressed his lips to hers. They were soft and warm, just as she remembered from when he kissed her that morning. She closed her eyes, trying to lose herself in the moment. It worked, h the moment didn't last forever. When he pulled away she squeezed his fingers, a gesture of comfort. She tried to tell him, both with her eyes and that squeeze that she could hold it together and she wasn't going anywhere. She would love him no matter what happened.

"I love you," she whispered as she followed him into Scorpius' room. He said it back to her before going and kneeling by Scorpius' bedside. Their little boy had already fallen asleep, bless him, but Draco woke him gently and his eyes filled with joy. He hadn't seen his father all day and the two had a close bond. From Granger's perspective, Astoria would admit it was easy to see him as a monster. But she herself couldn't see it. Especially now. She couldn't see an evil man in the one that stroked their son's hair and picked up a book to read to him before bed.

_Did Lucius do that with Draco?_

Astoria pushed that thought out of her mind and focused on Scorpius' little face as he laughed at Draco's impression of a goblin. No man that goofy could really truly be evil, and certainly not the man she married. She loved him, he loved her and they had two beautiful children together, and that was all that mattered.

Dark Lord, or no Dark Lord.


End file.
